Congressional Report on Pandemic Sparks Political Clash

A two-year investigation by the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has concluded that the COVID-19 virus most likely originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. This conclusion is supported by a 520-page report that includes interviews, document reviews, and testimony from various experts, asserting that the virus's characteristics are not naturally occurring. The report criticizes the NIH for funding gain-of-function research and highlights the mismanagement and lack of transparency in the pandemic response, calling for accountability and better preparedness for future pandemics. Former President Trump has proposed making China pay reparations for the global impact of the pandemic. The report has intensified political debates, with Republicans criticizing governmental actions during the pandemic and Democrats defending them as necessary. The findings have also been corroborated by several U.S. intelligence agencies and former officials.